Nick Kyrgios reveals the shocking images of self-harm fans sent him as he becomes a mentor following his own battle with depression that Andy Murray helped him overcome
Nick Kyrgios has revealed that fans have privately asked him for help and sent shocking images of their own battles with depression and suicide after the Australian began his own battle last year.
Kyrgios revealed the depths of his depression and self-harm in the Netflix documentary Break Point. Now he has revealed the flow-on effects that emerged from those confessions on Piers Morgan uncensored.
Morgan praised Kyrgios for his courage in taking his own struggles into the public arena. The Australian star then revealed the impact that had, with desperate fans turning to his Instagram inbox looking for help and advice to get through their struggles.
“When I watch those clips you just played, I feel very emotional, but at the same time, inside I feel a lot better than before,” he said.
“I helped so many people after I started talking about it and setting up social media, and of course the Netflix documentary brought out a lot more of it.
‘I have almost been a beacon for people who are having a hard time.
“If they feel like they’re overwhelmed and they go to you, you know, drink and drugs and stuff.”
Kyrgios admits his life spiraled out of control in 2018 when he smashed a racket in a match against Alexander Zverev
Kyrgios thanks his partner Costeen Hatzi, his family and the intervention of Andy Murray for helping his recovery
Kyrgios said people could see how he overcame the darkest period of his life and felt like he was relatable, sending him their own stories and asking for help.
“They open up and they feel like I’m relatable,” he said.
“People come to me with real problems and they send me pictures in my Instagram DMs of them, you know, harming themselves and genuinely wanting to kill themselves.
‘I sometimes have conversations with these people, you know, I’ve called these people.
Kyrgios also publicly thanked Andy Murray after supporting the Australian tennis star during a dark period when he contemplated suicide.
In a heartbreaking interview, Kyrgios revealed he endured two years of ‘complete damage’, waking up hating himself with a ‘pain addiction’.
The tennis star burned things on his arm and cut himself ‘for fun’, but Murray saw the signs of self-harm.
After seeing injuries to his arm, Murray alerted Kyrgios’ manager John Morris and gave him advice.
“Andy was always a big supporter of mine. As soon as I went on tour he was kind of a work in progress and took me under his wing,” Kyrgios told Piers Morgan Uncensored.
Nick Kyrgios has told how Andy Murray helped him through a dark period in his life
The Australian tennis star said he had a ‘pain addiction’ and burned things on his arm
Murray warned John Morris (centre), Kyrgios’ manager, and gave him advice after seeing arm injuries
“Then later in my career he realized that I don’t think I was coachable or that I was on my own path, but he was always someone who looked out for me.
‘He saw it [the self-harm] and he said, “What is that on your arm?” At that stage it was pretty bad.
‘Andy tried to give me clear advice about it. But I was so stuck in my ways at that moment that I didn’t listen. Of course I am very grateful. I thank him very much.’
Kyrgios has previously spoken openly about his depression, saying he had “suicidal thoughts” during the 2020 Australian Open.
Last year he described the conflict of “literally struggling to get out of bed” but then “playing in front of millions” during that dark time.
In Netflix’s docuseries Break Point, he shared that he wore a compression sleeve in 2019 to cover the scars on his arm.
He added: “I think it was all total damage for a year and a half to two years. It was pretty dark to be honest.
‘I won tournaments on the professional tour, drank every night, injured myself, burned things on my arm and cut myself for fun.
‘It became an addiction to pain. I hated myself. I hated waking up and being Nick Kyrgios.
Kyrgios revealed the emotional details in an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored
Since emerging from the darkest days of his life, Kyrgios has reached the Wimbledon final
He has also won the Australian Open doubles with Thanasi Kokkinakis
‘I really thought about suicide. I lost at Wimbledon. I woke up and my father was sitting on the bed, completely in tears.
‘That was the big wake-up call for me. I thought, ‘Okay, I can’t keep doing this.’
After coming back from his darkest days, Kyrgios reached the 2022 Wimbledon final, where he lost to Novak Djokovic, and won the 2022 Australian Open doubles title with Thanasi Kokkinakis.
However, he was injured in 2023, played only one match and dropped out of the ATP rankings.
His full interview with Piers Morgan airs tonight at 8pm on TalkTV.
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